Name Details:
Named By: Joffre L. Coe
Named For: Mountain in North Carolina near Type site
Date Identified:
1964
Type Site: Doerschuk Site,
Montgomery County, North Carolina
Morrow Mountain
Morrow Mountain Type I
Morrow Mountain Type II
Cluster: Morrow Mountain Cluster
Date:
Cultural Period:
7,100 - 6,700 B.P. (Type I)
6,800 - 6,000 B.P.
(Type II)
Middle Archaic
Middle Holocene
Glacial Period:
Culture:
Outline is Representative of Size and Shape:
Morrow Mountain
Type I
Morrow Mountain Type II
Description of Physical Characteristics and Flaking Pattern:
Morrow
Mountain Type I: This is a medium triangular point with a contracting stem. The cross section is
elliptical. The blade is primarily excurvate, however some examples have had straight to incurvate blade. The blade is
generally broad with the widest portion above the shoulders. The shoulders are primarily sloping upwards, but may be horizontal or slightly sloping.
Rarely the shoulders may be slightly barbed or "hanging". The stem is short, broad, and contracting. The base is convex to straight. Hafting region grinding is usually present, but light. This point has a random flaking
pattern.
Morrow
Mountain Type II: This is a medium triangular contracting stem point with an elliptical cross section. The blade is primarily excurvate, but vary to straight. The blade may be narrow and long. The shoulders are primarily
sloped upwards, but may vary to slightly sloping to horizontal. The stem is elongated and contracting with a convex or pointed base. Hafting region
grinding is absent on this type. This point has
a random flaking pattern.
Size Measurements: Total Length - 21 to
90 mm (36 to 50 mm average), Stem
Length - 7 to 20 mm (11 mm average), Blade Width - 18 to 50
mm (20 to 30 mm average), Stem Width - 14 to 20
mm (17 mm average), Thickness - 7 to 11 mm
Distribution:
Distribution Comments:
These points are found along the Atlantic Seaboard northeast into New England, west into the Tennessee River basin, and into the Gulf coast states. This
point may be found in the Ohio River valley infrequently.
*** It has been argued that these points do
not extend into Florida. It is felt points there are a separate
culture and fall under Westo type points.***
Similar Points:
Adena, Chesapeake Diamond, Cypress Creek, Dickson, Ebenezer, Gary, Marion, Piscataway, Putman, Rossville, Snook Hill, Waubesa, Westo
Additional Comments:
Morrow Mountain points post-date Stanly and Eva points and pre-date Savannah River and Guilford point (Justice, 1987).
Morrow Mountain Type II is called Stark Stemmed in the New England region (Justice, 1987).
Farr (2006) suggest that this type does not extend into Florida, but is limited to the Tennessee River Valley and into northern Georgia.
Point Validity: Valid Type
Coe was a highly respected and
pioneering anthropologist in North Carolina archaeology and a preeminent authority on eastern North American anthropology. This type was named in a professional
publication and has many professional references. This is considered a valid type.
.
Age Details:
Radiocarbon dating at the Cactus Hill for levels contain type 1 points was
dated at 6,700 +/- 130 BP and Slate Side site had dates of 6,470 +/- 90 BP.
Deposits containing type 2 points at Ice House Bottom site returned a date
of 5,045 +/- 250 BP and at Russell Cave had dates of 4,030 +/- 200 BP.
This suggests that Type 1 are older than the Type 2 points. However,
Justice (1987) argues that not enough testing has been conducted to
ascertain that these two types were used during two different time periods.
Pictures Provided By:
Jaron Jordan
Darius Vojdani
Danny Hamel
Mark Fowler
Gabe Alarcón
Nathan F
Jessee Higgins
Kelli Armstrong
Matthew Benehaley
Lee W.
Terry Summers
Matthew Benenhaley
Cam
Lisa Smith
Keith Lane
Adam Burchfield
Kevin Broussard
Torrey Vaest
Allison Browder
J McClusky
Fred Childress
Mike's Tennessee Arrowheads
The Coinman
References: (See Reference Page, Entry Number):
12, 23, 30, 37, 58, 59, 162, 167, 216, 180, W2, W10
Morrow Mountain Projectile Point, Morrow Mountain Arrowhead